Letters: Civilization is facing a dire situation

Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt made an appearance on Tuesday morning's "Morning Joe" and continuously evaded questions about discussing climate change with President Donald Trump. Pruitt was asked by hosts of the show at least 10 times if he had discussed climate change with President Trump during their discussions to exit the Paris Accord. Pruitt could only be avoiding the question for two reasons: either he doesn't actually know Trump's stance on climate change or he's afraid of making Trump made by saying anything declarative on the subject. During his campaign, Trump told CNN's Jake Tapper, "I'm a huge believer in clean air. "I'm not a huge believer in the global warming phenomena."

Wochit

Global civilization faces a dire situation that some refuse to see or acknowledge.

Scientists across the spectrum, such as those in atmospherics, biology, agriculture, oceanography and meteorology, provide data that all points to the same conclusion: Humans are responsible for the sharp disruptions in existing long-term weather patterns.

Scientists across the spectrum, such as those in atmospherics, biology, agriculture, oceanography ...more

Scientists across the spectrum, such as those in atmospherics, biology, agriculture, oceanography and meteorology, provide data that all points to the same conclusion: Humans are responsible for the sharp disruptions in existing long-term weather patterns.

Hans-Peter Merten, Getty Images

The Paris agreement is an attempt to come to grips with this problem.

As he approached Little Big Horn valley, General Custer cast aside reports his forward scouts gave that said the number or native warriors was much greater than he had assumed. His willful and reckless disregard resulted in disaster.

Scientists are civilizations' scouts and we have a cast of characters who choose not to believe them. Tragically, we have a leader that recklessly marches us all into our own "Little Big Horn."

Only three countries have not signed the Paris agreement. One, because they don't believe that it goes far enough. Another, Syria, is caught up in a much more immediate existential crisis; the other is America.

High crimes and misdemeanors are one path to remove a president from office that would be awkward and time consuming. Immediate removal for incompetence and stupidity would be preferable.

Hitler High School

Recent columns by Cynthia Tucker and Vanzetta McPherson applaud the recent removal of statues of Jefferson Davis and Robert E. Lee in New Orleans. The same arguments could be used to rename two high schools in Montgomery. After all, if Jefferson Davis and Robert E. Lee were the two most important leaders of the Confederacy, and the primary purpose of the Confederate States of America was to preserve, defend and extend the enslavement of blacks, why should two high schools in Montgomery today, now predominantly black, be named after them? Is that not like naming an American school after Benedict Arnold, or synagogue after Hitler?

If Jeff Davis and Robert E. Lee High Schools were renamed, what would the new names be? I suggest two leaders of the Civil Rights Movement in Montgomery in the 1950s who later became national civil rights heroes in the 1960s: The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Rev. Ralph David Abernathy.

Daniel Haulman

Montgomery

America is a third world country

I was sent to Vietnam for my first tour in 1964, only two years after the Cuban missile crisis. Vietnam was considered a surrogate war with Russia and China and nuclear war was fresh on our minds.

I sometimes speculated about the U.S. and Russia destroying each other with nukes and we few Americans would be stranded in a poverty-stricken, third world country for the rest of our lives. Have you ever wondered what it would be like living in a third world country where the leadership demonstrated little influence from Christianity, no moral compass, all the effort was on making the rich more wealthy, no compassion for the poor, lying and deceit everywhere, and no respect for human life?

Thanks to President Trump and the 81 percent of "evangelicals" and other Republicans who support him, now you know. America is not only now a third world country, it is considered a pariah among other nations, even among other third world countries, thanks to Trump trashing the climate accord. Not only has he pledged to destroy the environment, he has destroyed the credibility of America with other nations. What leader would sign an agreement with this individual who even deceives his own citizens?

Carl L. Hess

Ozark

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